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roisin and mac

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 3, 2008
336
19
Right - hope this is the right forum for this question :)

I just got a new digital camera, a Canon Powershot A570 SI. I got it mainly for my mom to use, who is currently running windows. We'd still like the thing to work with macs though, not just because she might want to dump the pics on my machine sometime (I'm running Leopard), but also because she may well go for a mac for her next computer (which will be in the next two years, tops). The thing is, on the box where it says the system requirements etc, under Mac OS X it mentions Panther and Tiger, but not Leopard (probably the camera came along before it was released).

So now I'm getting worried it might not work with my system, even though it does with hers (now). OK, it's not a huge worry, because I do have an older Olympus C-310 which works fine with my MB (didn't even need to install anything, just sees it as an external mass storage device), but I just thought I'd double-check with you guys before we start opening the packaging and playing around with the camera, so we can return it if need be. To be honest I'd hate to do that, because it seems a sweet little camera, very well-featured especially for the price, and basically I'm gagging to put it through its paces ;)

So what do you think: will it work fine and we can keep it, or had I better take it back? I'd really appreciate your contributions and promise to pay you generously in virtual cookies. Double choc chip ones :p
 

donmei

macrumors regular
Mar 8, 2007
221
0
If you are going to just treat the camera like a mass storage device, then there really is no such thing as "work with a Mac".

This the miracle of standards based computing.

The camera is a USB mass storage device.
The pictures are JPEGs.

Thats the end of it.

So, the answer is YES.
Please note that I'm intentionally avoiding the question of whether the packaged software that comes with the camera will work. Frankly, I have no idea.

But that software is not necessary to get full use out of the camera. Especially with the new iLife stuff.

Also, in the exceedingly rare case that the camera is not recognized. You would just purchase a SD reader and plug that into the mac.

Don
 

SLC Flyfishing

Suspended
Nov 19, 2007
1,486
1,717
Portland, OR
Canon seems to be very Mac friendly, it will almost certainly work with your computer software and all. Then again, most every digital camera maker makes their included software Macintosh compatible.

SLC
 

MacBoobsPro

macrumors 603
Jan 10, 2006
5,114
6
My parents bought a new camera recently and I told them it would work fine without having install the crapware that came with it. Unfortunately the camera has no button or setting to put it into 'pc mode' so it doesnt mount like a USB storage device as I expected. There was never a chance I was installing the crapware so I tried using image capture and that didnt work either. I was beginning to think it was the only USB camera that wouldnt work on my Mac but then I thought about trying it with iPhoto. Sure enough iPhoto works fine with it so all is well except I have to download into iPhoto first then move/use the photos where i would like instead of just being able to drag and drop direct from the camera.
 

donmei

macrumors regular
Mar 8, 2007
221
0
macboobspro

buy a $10 usb SD card reader at walmart. Then you can work the way you want to. The only extra step is that you have to remove the card from the camera and stick it into the card reader.
 

roisin and mac

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 3, 2008
336
19
double choc chip cookies, comin' through!!

It's almost certain that it will work automatically when you plug it in. I wouldn't worry.

thanks ;)

If you are going to just treat the camera like a mass storage device, then there really is no such thing as "work with a Mac".

This the miracle of standards based computing.

The camera is a USB mass storage device.
The pictures are JPEGs.

Thats the end of it.

So, the answer is YES.
Please note that I'm intentionally avoiding the question of whether the packaged software that comes with the camera will work. Frankly, I have no idea.

But that software is not necessary to get full use out of the camera. Especially with the new iLife stuff.

Also, in the exceedingly rare case that the camera is not recognized. You would just purchase a SD reader and plug that into the mac.

Don

yeuch @ 'packaged software' :D With my other camera, on my previous laptop (Windows), I'd initially installed the software but got rid of it after a few months as I never used it. I hate having things cluttering up my computer :) I am a compulsive neatfreak (well. on my computer anyway :p)

My parents bought a new camera recently and I told them it would work fine without having install the crapware that came with it. Unfortunately the camera has no button or setting to put it into 'pc mode' so it doesnt mount like a USB storage device as I expected. There was never a chance I was installing the crapware so I tried using image capture and that didnt work either. I was beginning to think it was the only USB camera that wouldnt work on my Mac but then I thought about trying it with iPhoto. Sure enough iPhoto works fine with it so all is well except I have to download into iPhoto first then move/use the photos where i would like instead of just being able to drag and drop direct from the camera.

Well, that is worrying. But on balance, I reckon it's not a huge likelihood. I mean, you still got it to work, and you even maybe had a dud one. I think if that's what happens I might even be able to return it as faulty. So we should be all set there :)

dblchocchipcookies0042bb1.jpg


Have at it!!
 

kkat69

macrumors 68020
Aug 30, 2007
2,013
1
Atlanta, Ga
2 min trip to canon's website would pretty much tell if it's Mac compatible.

Wait... I just did that. I looked up your camera on the Canon web site and glanced at the tabs and ...................................................................................
 

ftaok

macrumors 603
Jan 23, 2002
6,485
1,571
East Coast
I was beginning to think it was the only USB camera that wouldnt work on my Mac but then I thought about trying it with iPhoto. Sure enough iPhoto works fine with it so all is well except I have to download into iPhoto first then move/use the photos where i would like instead of just being able to drag and drop direct from the camera.

You can use Image Capture instead of iPhoto. Sure, it's still a few extra steps, but Image Capture doesn't have the overhead that iPhoto has. Plus, you can tell it where to download the photos to.
 
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